I love how people are commenting about how no one will ever use this language beyond the reservation, but where the heck are you going to use German and French? Spanish might be useful, but the other two? Not so much. Also, it's an AMERICAN language that they are teaching, and AMERICAN Indians have every right to have their languages taught as any other. Children who do not have English as a first language are forced to learn it so that they can go to school, at least if other children know the language, even a little bit, transition will be easier for them. This way, more people will feel comfortable teaching kids Hidatsa or Arikara or Dakota and such if they know that they will be able to succeed in school. If tribes do not have a language, they will lose their sovereignty, but more importantly, they will lose their culture. Everywhere around you, you'll see traces of European culture, but what about us? We need at least SOMETHING to remind us that we exist and are native and are human too.

Having read along with over 150 posts here, I find it amusing that folks all the way up in SD are having cultural issues of the same dimension as folks in Southern Mississippi.   Down here it is Eboni, the language of the mid-African languages, and every open discussion of language winds up being a rascist argument.   We as Americans are so foolish when we don't realize that folks take their lives in their hands crawling through tunnels from Mexico, sleeping in shipping containers from China, rowing washtubs across the Caribbean or using a visa that gets lost along with the bearer in order to come here because of the economy, language, standard of living and CULTURE.   We are stupid to allow ghettos, reservations, encampments or Little Towns that try to crossbreed culture into something that has wrecked Europe for over a 1000 years.

I believe if you come to America, get a job, learn the language, assimilate the culture like everyone else and stand proudly and shake your fist at the rest of those demagogues out there that want to bring us down to their level of incompetency, joblessness and ignorance.  It's time to stand up for this country and quit all this backbiting and ethnocentricity.   Support the culture that is tolerant and moral because it is what has made us the world's best.

Now that's my peacepipe... I'd vote for anyone that smokes it with me.

I just think it is inappropriate to give a headdress that is so honorable to Indian Country and give it to a government official who has negotiated a tax agreement that could have been avoided.

Well..I would suppose they are honoring a man who has held the same spot for 30 some years.  That in itself is an accomplishment.  so yes Lone..that was why.  I know there are quite a few who shouldnt get honored but have because they have held that employment position, they went to war, or so on.  When I was married to my ex husband, he was "white".  He was in the military and on his way to Korea for a year.  The people of White Shield held a pow wow for him and two others headed out for deployment in their honor for serving. He was and he is still considered a part of the family even though we have parted ways.  Thats just how most indians are.. thats how I was raised anyway.

And shoppe.. we are free to leave the reservations.  There are alot who dont just because of the "free stuff" but the ones that do live off of the rez...end up fighting a lot harder.  Alot do return to try "better" the communities and work for the health, judicial and educational system.  But its how hard you as an individual fight to make it work. ;)

shoppe,

Have you lived on the reservation? I know, it would be nice to live "free", but the U.S. Government took that away years ago.

I for one am totally against Reservations in the first place.   We should all be free to live where we like.

Indianprincess Aka.. shoppe

Thanks Ko, Sianna for the information. I did check out the mhanation.com website and did find pictures of the signing of the state/tribe tax agreement. From information I received, instead of the tribe paying two taxes-they will be paying one tax. I did do a search on the revenue paid out because of the previous taxes paid out because of the Three Affiliated Tribes/State agreement and the amount came to 18 million dollars.

Personally, I think this 18 million dollars could have went towards a legal assistance fund to help indvidual landowners of the reservation who are not benefiting from the oil industry. In my mind, they need all the assistance they can get-because they do not have the representation out there to help them. I work with individual landowners and know first hand that tribal administrations cannot represent individual landowners/allottee in situations like this.

On the tribes website, I did see the Govenor wearing a War-Bonnet - - so my assumption is that he received it from the tribal council per the signing agreement. What I seen also is the tribes mission statement that say's:

" The Three Affiliated Tribes will provide to the tribe and people, maximum quality services, by being responsible, accountable, respectful, caring, and will incorporate the traditional values of our elders and ancestors."

So-I'm wondering per the mission statement, was it of value-by the tribe to honor the Govenor with this headdress?

Your supply of brain cells

usgrant,

your brain must need some vitamins or some kind of medication to balance out your functioning mechanisms in your head so you can properly address issues. Indians pay taxes when they buy gas, pay rent, pay the mortgage etc.

We shouldn't have to pay taxes on Indian land per oil production because we are at the same level as the federal government. The state, if need be, can receive money from tribes if there needs to be road repair, infrastructure improvements etc. The state does't need to tax us....instead we can make an agreement and work with the state- when those kind of issues come up.